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Chapter Three
~ Mars ~
I lay on my bed and stared at the ceiling, thinking of Reba and what would happen over the next month. Could I move away and leave her behind? No, because the likelihood of me regularly coming back for anything more than a short holiday visit was about nil. I think my father knew that, too. While he worked from his home office a lot, for the obvious reason of hiding that he’d been attacked, again, he did have offices in the corporate headquarters on the eastern edge of town. And I could easily visit him there.
But Reba…
My stomach growled, sidetracking my thoughts for a moment. It was well past when I’d usually eat dinner, but I didn’t feel like going down to the kitchen and getting something. Chef would have my dinner available, as usual, and if I didn’t eat it today, I could always warm it for lunch tomorrow. He wouldn’t like that, but he was also accustomed to it. My family hadn’t regularly eaten meals together for years. And wouldn’t people be shocked about that?
I glanced at my watch. The live-in staff would be in their dining room, getting ready for their meal right about now. Unlike the Kennedy family, they all tended to eat together. And I had a standing welcome—also unlike the rest of my family. I wasn’t so sure any of the three of them even knew there was a staff dining room.
Levering myself off the bed, I headed toward the door, intent on my destination. I had one month to win over Reba, which meant I had to spend time with her. One my one, I opened the bolts on my door—so many of them, you’d think I lived in a sketchy part of New York City. With my phone in hand, I stepped into the hallway, glancing left and right. All clear. I quickly engaged my locks and security system on my phone app and headed toward the staff wing.
Yes, I had a security system. It recorded movement in my room and also reported a breach into my space. I’d installed it a couple years ago and never regretted it, but how fucked up was it that I needed a security system in my home that was supposed to be my place of refuge?
Alert as I walked through the house, I beelined through the tomblike silence and headed right toward the heart of the mansion, the lifeblood that kept it running. The atmosphere seemed to change the moment I slipped through the door that divided “them” from “us.” I kind of hated that distinction set up by the socioeconomic layers. Hated and eschewed it as much as possible. Truth be told, though, I’d grown up in a circle of equally wealthy peers and I’d gone to an exclusive private school. I wouldn’t be “woke” if not for the work I did at the shelter in Adrian’s Point, the nearest city to here.
Laughter an chatter flooded into the corridor as I got closer, so vibrant compared to the mausoleum I’d just left.
“Marshall!” several people called out as I entered the dining room, making me feel as if I’d stepped into an old episode of that iconic TV show, Cheers. Several long dining tables filled the space, each surrounded by matching chairs.
I smiled, giving the occupants a chin lift. These people were my real family, and I’d miss them when I moved away. My gaze immediately sought out Reba. She sat at the far side of the room with the friend I often saw her with, Kinley.
Chef started to rise to serve me, and I waved him back as I headed toward the sideboard and the dishes stacked there.
“There’s chicken marsala waiting for you upstairs,” he teased when he settled back into his chair.
“I’m sure this is better.”
He gasped in mock-outrage, his hand to his chest. It was a scene we often played, and I knew the food was top-notched whether I ate upstairs or down here. Actually, I preferred the food Chef prepared for the staff. It was less fancy, more hearty. And the company… Reba was in this dining room.
After loading my plate with chicken, rice and steamed vegetables, I scanned the area, even though I knew exactly where I was going. To be honest, everyone in the room knew where I’d sit. Conveniently, Sid, one of the guys from the garage, stood as I headed that way, he winked at me and walked over to chat with someone else, leaving the space beside Reba vacant.
“Hey,” I said, dropping into the chair.
“Hi,” she replied, a faint blush coloring her cheeks—which happened a lot when we talked. She didn’t flirt with me or indicate that she might be open to my advances, but that pink gave me hope.
“Hey, there,” Kinley trilled, her tone edged with humor. Now, this girl flirted. I wasn’t interested in her, though, and she knew it. It was just her way with most of the guys.
Reba shot her a narrow-eyed glare, and Kinley snorted quietly. They both knew there was no need to be jealous, though. My fascination was singular.
“Hello,” I replied, politely, before landing all my focus on my girl again. All the weight of soon moving away dragged heavily on me. If I was to get Reba to go with me to my new place, I needed to get myself onto her radar as more than just being her bosses’ son. And then I had to push farther and get myself embedded into her life.
“I’m just gonna…yeah… See ya,” Kinley murmured, with a smile. I shot her a grateful look and she winked back at me. Good luck, she mouthed.
My chin lifted in thanks before I refocused firmly on my girl. “How was your day?”
“Oh, you know… Very exciting. High stakes dusting gets my blood pumping.” She rolled her eyes and shrugged. “It was the usual. How about you? What were you up to today?”
“Also the usual.”
“Hanging out with your friends?”
I shook my head, glad she hadn’t said “little friends” as she had once before when she’d tried to put space between us.
“No, I saw one of them for a little while to look at my condo. For most of my day, though, I drove into the city to do some work.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “Work?”
